Deadline: 11-Jun-21
The Independence Public Media Foundation is calling for proposals for Community Voices Fund 2021 to support creative, community-centered media and media-making across Greater Philadelphia.
Through grant-making and other programs, the Foundation supports building and strengthening networks of people who are creating and sharing information, ideas, and stories for change and justice.
For its 2021 Community Voices Fund, IPMF is partnering with the Knight-Lenfest Local News Transformation Fund to support a range of media organizations and media making projects in the region, with an emphasis on community-owned media, and community-connected news, information, and journalism addressing systemic inequities and systems that need to change. Furthermore, the Fund will center voices and leadership from communities targeted by white supremacy and state-sanctioned violence.
Focus Areas
Preference will be given to proposals that meet one or more of the following criteria:
- Organizations and projects led by Black, Indigenous, and People of Color, women, people who are LGBTQIA+, Two-Spirit, Trans, genderqueer, gender nonconforming, nonbinary, and/or queer. Those who are disabled, immigrants, people directly impacted by mass incarceration, or have other lived experiences that are historically excluded from journalism and media making.
- Organizations with annual operating budgets under $1 million
- Support increased agency, civic engagement, and a mutual aid approach within communities
- Compensate community members directly for their stories and contributions
- Amplify the stories and needs of communities excluded from media-making, in partnership with those communities
- Seek to build lasting community connections through media and media making
- Feature collaboration between multiple partners
In partnership with the Knight-Lenfest Local News Transformation Fund, a portion of the Community Voices Fund will be dedicated to projects focused on news, information, and journalism. Additionally, they strongly encourage organizations and projects based in these counties (in addition to Philadelphia) to apply: Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery in Pennsylvania. Burlington, Camden, and Gloucester in New Jersey. And, New Castle County, Delaware.
Funding Information
The Community Voices Fund will award one year grants in three different ranges, depending on the scope and needs of the work. These categories are meant to provide helpful guidance, but they will remain flexible as they review applications:
- The Star level ($10,000- $40,000) is typically geared toward new or smaller-scale projects, community engagement, or experimentation.
- The Constellation level ($40,000- $75,000) generally seeks to support larger-scale projects or collaborations that result in innovative content creation and stronger networks.
- The Galaxy level ($75,000-$125,000) will support established programs and projects to expand, evolve or deepen their work, particularly those that are focused on movement building.
Eligibility Criteria
- This is an open call for nonprofits (or organizations or projects with a fiscal sponsor) from Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery, and Philadelphia counties in Pennsylvania. Burlington, Camden, and Gloucester counties in New Jersey. And, New Castle County, Delaware. They strongly encourage organizations outside of Philadelphia to apply.
- All applicants must be a 501(c)3 or an organization with a fiscal sponsor.
- They are unable to make grants to individuals.
- Previous Community Voices grantees are welcome to apply.
- Organizations are welcome to apply to both the Community Voices Fund and Digital Equity Fund with the understanding that only one grant from either fund will be awarded.
- Applying to both funds does not increase your chances of being awarded a grant.
- They will not accept more than one proposal from an organization for the Community Voices Fund.
For more information, visit http://independencemedia.org/community-voices-2021/